Highlights
- Converted to right-hand drive after being imported from Texas
- Equipped with a later, more powerful 1600C engine
- Repainted to a very high standard during 2020 and 2021 for over £35,000
- Fully repainted and interior renovated
- Extensive mechanical work completed
The Appeal
An air-cooled, rear-engined sports car was a pretty left-field idea when Porsche first started playing around with experimental streamliners in the late 1930s but, as time and lots of enthusiastic drivers have proven, it turned out to be a very good one. After the disruption of the Second World War, Ferdinand Porsche’s ideas were taken up by his son Ferry, and the 356 appeared as Porsche’s first production model in 1948.
Light, nimble and very fast, if the 356 had naysayers to begin with, they soon learnt the error of their ways. It was not only a spacious and comfortable sports-car with grand-tourer qualities; it soon became a force to be reckoned with in all kinds of competition disciplines, outperforming many more conventionally designed cars in circuit racing, rallying and hill-climbs across Europe, America and Australia. A class win at the 1951 Le Mans was perhaps its most notable achievement.
With its good looks and racing success, the 356 also became a rather glamorous car for posing in, and by the time the 356B appeared in 1959, with cosmetic restyling and many mechanical improvements, it was adored by both racing drivers and the jet set.
This is an excellent opportunity to acquire a 356B which can really be used and enjoyed. Recently converted and repainted to a very high but not concours standard, it is certainly nice enough to show but not so fussily finished that you’d be afraid to use it. Being a four-seat cabriolet, it’s ideal for open-top summer motoring with or without your family, a right-hand drive conversion makes it practical for British roads, and with a later, more powerful engine, it should be just that little bit more enjoyable still when the road opens up and you can put your foot down.
The History and Paperwork
- Chassis 152712 was built at Porsche’s Stuttgart factory and completed in October 1959 for the 1960 model year
- Believed to have been sold new in the USA, it was imported into Britain from Texas in 2012
- First registered with the DVLA in July 2015
- Paperwork includes the current V5C, invoices from Road and Race Restorations, P R Services and Lux Classics dating from 2020 and 2021, plus correspondence from the Porsche Club GB confirming production details
The Interior
- Refurbished with new carpets and mats
- Leather recently re-Connolized
- Equipped with period Blaupunkt AM/FM radio
It’s no good repainting a car if the interior’s going to let it down, so when this 356 was restored, care was taken to make sure it looked every bit as good on the inside as it does on the outside. Accordingly, Road and Race Restorations fitted it with new carpets and mats and, more recently, Lux Classics re-Connolized the leather upholstery so, apart from a few creases in the leather, the seats could pass for being almost new.
Since the whole car was repainted, the new Ivory White extends to the metal dash, again giving it a nearly-new look. The paint itself is fantastic. The only thing which slightly gives away its age is a very light patina on the bezels of some of the switches. Even then, there is very little in the way of patina to be found, since much of the interior chrome was replated. Of course, having been converted to right-hand drive, the dash panel on this car is not original to it, although it is entirely correct.
The Italian Nardi steering wheel and wooden gear knob are also non-original but very handsome, and lend the car a particularly sporty feel.
The folding rear seats are, naturally, every bit as good as the front seats, although our one criticism might be that they fold a little too easily, e.g. under sharp braking. They could perhaps benefit from some slight adjustment to make the folding mechanism slightly firmer.
The load space under the bonnet is every bit as impressive as everything else, and occupying pride of place is the very attractive chromed spare wheel with a brand-new tyre on it. Also present are a new jack and wheel brace, although there is no toolkit.
The Exterior
- Painted Ivory White with Porsche-approved Glasurit paint
- New hood fitted
- Paint protected with Gtechniq HALO flexible film coating
With thousands of pounds spent on its restoration, chassis 152712 now looks positively stunning. Ivory White is understood to have been its original colour, and it’s easy to appreciate now how good it would have looked when new, since it was only recently resprayed in 2020, using a Porsche-approved Glasurit paint. The car was taken back to bare metal for the spraying, with all the brightwork removed. The panel gaps were adjusted so all the panels now sit evenly and flush and, where necessary, some new parts were used.
Following the respray, the owner elected to invest in a paint protective film and a Total Surface Protection package covering the interior, wheel faces, glass and the convertible roof, so the car’s beautiful finish ought to last for a long time to come. The soft-top, incidentally, was fitted as a brand-new item during the restoration and fits very well.
To summarize its external condition generally, the paint is excellent, with no obvious blemishes that we could make out. The brightwork is similarly superb, with just one or extremely minor marks in places, such as on the overriders, and the badges have a very attractive light patina. The hood, of course, is near enough brand-new still, and looks it. The wheels were extensively refurbished with rechromed hubcaps, and they possess a beautiful shine. The tyres look like they have barely seen the road.
It may be seen from the photographs how good the underside of the car is. It is evident that the floorpan was replaced at some point while the Porsche was still in America, but it was done to a high standard and doesn’t look to have deteriorated at all.
The only very slight fault buyers should take particular note of, as it may not be easily discerned from the photographs, is that the near-side door was, for some reason, repainted separately from the rest of the car and the colour is not quite a perfect match. Even so, the difference is only barely perceptible, and oughtn’t stop you enjoying the car.
The Mechanics
- Fitted with a 75bhp 616/15 1600C engine from 1964
- Carburettors tuned and distributor rebuilt
- Brakes rebuilt with new wheel cylinders
While we don’t know exactly how this car ended up with a slightly later 75bhp version of the 1600cc engine, we’re not going to resent the fact that it has one in place of its original 60bhp engine. The 356 is supposed to be a driver’s car, and the more powerful engine made it a quicker and more enjoyable car to drive, so you really should make the most of this example out on the road.
Having received extensive work during its restoration by Road and Race Restorations in 2020, and been used very little since, we believe it to be in excellent mechanical health. Certainly, when it fires up it settles into a healthy-sounding idle, with the distinctive rhythm of the boxer flat-four. On the road, it accelerates briskly and feels very smooth.
Mechanical work completed by Road and Race included:
- Cleaning and tuning-up the Weber 40 IDF carburettors
- Replacing the fuel pipes
- Rebuilding the distributor with new points and condenser
- Checking tappet clearance
- Fitting a new rocker cover gasket
- Rebuilding the brakes with new wheel cylinders
- Converting steering to right-hand drive with correct Porsche Pitman steering arm
While we cannot guarantee roadworthiness without a current MoT, we can see no reason why this Porsche shouldn’t be able to take to the roads right away.
The Summary
With production of the 356B running to 30,963 cars between 1959 and 1963, it wasn’t quite so rare as other high-end sports cars but, even so, you were only likely to come across one if you tended to spend time in places like St. Moritz or the Hollywood Hills. Today, they’re more exclusive still and you’re most likely to encounter them on concours lawns or at historic race meetings.
That’s all well and good, but a 356 is a bit wasted if it’s not being taken out for spirited drives on good roads. This one, we believe, is ideal for driving. Although it’s been converted and painted to a very high standard and looks wonderful, with a non-matching-numbers engine it’s unlikely to impress purist concours judges.
With the extra 15bhp, however, it will put an even bigger smile on your face when you’re out on countryside A-roads or, better still, taking it across Europe to experience some scenic mountain passes. It’ll be in its element in Britain, though, thanks to its right-hand drive conversion. There may be a few dressier 356s for sale every now and again, but we very much doubt you’d find one more usable or better value for money.
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